Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1793-1876, 1979-1988
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‡BELLWAVER, BELWAVER, BALWAVER, v. To straggle, stroll; move here and there without a definite objective. Also fig. Also ppl.adj. bellwaverin. [′bɛl′we:vər, -′wɑ:vər (old)]ne.Sc. 1979 Alastair Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 63:
I wid want my dowieness, my bellwaverin moods
to be tint in your dreich coronachs.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 127:
Fin they [grouse] grow dowie they jist belwaver aboot, peer things, hauf rinnin', hauf fleein' ony wye that happens.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 30:
"Mary-Lou's my baby, the gal I love the best."
Ay weel, it bellwavers intil the nicht
an' awa, freith i the muinlicht.wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan II. 126:
And thereby keep him frae ony mair bellwavering or wandering up and down the streets.Lnk. 1825 Jam.2:
It is said of any piece of cloth, hung up to be dried, that it is "bellwavering in the wind."fig. Sc. 1793 "Tam Thrum" Look before ye Loup 5:
Your lang stories i' the newspapers, invitin' men of a' ranks and conditions to come an' reform the Government, set them a' a bellwaverin'! vbl.n. balwavering, incoherence.Sc. 1876 Book of Sc. Story 97:
Can ye no gang on wi' your story, without a' this balwavering and nonsense about coming ower ane o' our Professors.
